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Lakers president: Any player afraid to play with Kobe 'is probably a loser'

Gary A. Vasquez / USA Today Sports

Kobe Bryant offered barely a shrug in response to a recent ESPN The Magazine article suggesting the Los Angeles Lakers are in bad shape as a franchise because no players want to play with him. 

Lakers president Jeanie Buss isn't taking it as lightly.

"Any free agent that would be afraid to play with Kobe Bryant is probably a loser," Buss said in a "SportsCenter" interview Thursday. "And I'm glad they wouldn't come to the team."

The far-reaching article suggests that the Lakers are having difficulty transitioning to a new era because Bryant's personality is driving his would-be heirs away. Dwight Howard, Carmelo Anthony, Ramon Sessions and Paul George are cited as possible examples, with information provided by anonymous sources in varying league roles.

It's impossible to tell to what degree the article resonates league-wide, as Bryant has always been a polarizing figure. But he seemed unaffected, chalking the controversial piece up to the regular ebbs and flows of the media cycle.

Buss, whose brother wasn't portrayed in the friendliest light in the article either, is far angrier than her star player.

"I don't agree with any of it," Buss said. "If there is somebody that's on our payroll who is saying things like that, I'll soon get to the bottom of it and they won't be working for us anymore."

The fact remains that the Lakers have struggled to add another superstar alongside Bryant and, as a result, they are likely looking at a second consecutive losing season. That may or not be Bryant's fault - his hyper-competitive nature has helped hang five banners in Staples Center, after all.

Whether Bryant's attitude and demeanor now do more harm than good is really a player-by-player and fan-by-fan assessment.

And hey, a few prominent figures still have Bryant's back.

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